Taking on your first cleaners is a big step. Most of the rules are straightforward, but a few catch cleaning businesses out again and again — usually because of how cleaning work is organised: short jobs, lots of travel and irregular hours. This guide covers the main ones in plain English. It isn't legal advice; for your situation, check GOV.UK or ask ACAS.
National Minimum Wage — and travel time
Everyone you employ must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for their age. The rates go up every April, so check the current figures on GOV.UK each year.
The trap for cleaning businesses is travel between jobs. Time spent travelling from one client's home to the next counts as working time for minimum wage purposes. If you only pay for time on site, a cleaner with several short jobs a day can end up below the minimum once travel is counted. Deductions for uniforms or equipment can also push pay below the line.
Habit: each pay period, divide total pay by total working hours — including travel between jobs — and check it's at or above the legal rate.
Holiday pay
Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks' paid holiday a year (pro rata for part-timers). For staff with irregular hours or who work only part of the year — common in cleaning — the rules changed for leave years starting on or after 1 April 2024: holiday can be worked out as 12.07% of hours worked, and "rolled-up" holiday pay (paid with each pay packet) is allowed for these workers if it's shown separately on the payslip.
Right to work checks
Before someone starts, you must check they have the right to work in the UK and keep a record of the check. Skipping it can mean a heavy civil penalty. GOV.UK explains how to do it, including online checks for many people.
DBS checks
Clients trust you with their keys and homes, so many cleaning businesses ask staff for a DBS check. Any employer can request a basic DBS check. Standard and enhanced checks are only available for specific roles — for example work in regulated settings with children or vulnerable adults — so most domestic cleaning roles use a basic check. Record the date of each check and repeat it periodically.
Hazardous substances (COSHH)
Cleaning products can be hazardous. Employers need to assess the risks of the substances their staff use, keep safety data sheets, and make sure staff know how to use products and protective equipment safely. The HSE has free guidance for cleaning businesses.
How Gleamdesk helps
Gleamdesk records DBS check dates for each staff member, logs working time with GPS clock-in, flags any hourly rate below the minimum wage, supports rolled-up holiday pay in pay exports, and keeps a COSHH register of your products — so the paperwork is in one place when you need it.